Sewing machine



Feb. 14, 1939. S LEWN 2,147,047

SEWING MACHINE Filed Feb. 27, 1936 2 Sheets-Shet 1 INVENTOR. SAMUEL LEV/N G ATTORNEY Feb. 14, 1939. s LEVIN 2,147,047

SEWING MACHINE Filed Feb. 27, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 35 INVENTOR. 43 SAMUEL LEV/N 4'7 3 a 40 3511 BY i 35b J a.

I I ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT-#OFFICIE I 7 SamueliLev'in, Philadelphia,1:;659651,v

10 Claims.

This invention .relates to sewing machines,- and more particularly to' the presser'foot structure thereof.

In certain classes of work, it is desirable to form one or more seams or rowsof stitches at a predetermineddistance from some edge of the work. For this-purpose,-there have been previously provided presser feet having fixed guide flanges against which the edge of the work may be guided as it is fed along. While such devices are suitable where the seam is to be formed at some specific distancefrom theguided edge of the work, they are not suitable where theseam is to be formed at some other "distance from the edge, since the guide flange is fixed with respect to' the needle slot in the "presser'foot. Moreover, such devices are entirely unsuitable where the seam is to be formed at a considerable distance v from-another seam, for-example, or from some other referencemark on the work.

The primary'object of my invention is to provide improved presser foot structure for sewing machines, which structure'will not besubject to the aforementioneddisadvantages.

More specifically, it is an object of my invention to provideimprovedpresser footstructure for sewing-machines by'means of which a seam may be formed at any desiredlocation on the work with respect to either an edge thereof or some other seam or reference designation thereon.

Another objectof 'myinvention is to provide improved presser foot structure for sewing machines which will be adjustable within predetermined limits to provide hems of difierent widths.

Still another object of my invention is to provide improved presser foot structure as aforesaid which can'be readily attached to standard-sewing m'achines and' which can be advantageously substituted for conventional presser feet of such machines.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved presser foot device for sewing machines which is simple in construction, which is inexpensive in cost, which readily lends itself to the requirements of economical commercial manufactur'e, and which, above all,-is highly eflicient in use 7 In accordance with my invention, I.-.form the presser foot of twovertically and relatively movableparts carried by a supporting block which is in turn mounted for horizontal adjustment on amountingblock by means of which the whole structure may be attached to the presserbar.- The needle slot :or guide is preferably formedin one i of the two relatively novable presser. feet and extends transversely thereof while the second presser "foot acts asa guiding-member for the work, both presser feet being jointly adjustable onthe-mounting'block in ahorizontal direction whereby the distancefromsaid-guiding part to 5 the needle 'in'the needle slot-maybe adjusted to provide -a-hem or "spacing of desired -width.

. -The novel'features that-I considercharacteristic of my invention are set iorth with particularity in -the-appended--claims.- The invention itselfjhoweverwboth asto its organization and method of operation, -together-with= additional objects and advantages thereof,- will best be understood from the following description of several embodiments thereof when read in -connection with the accompanying drawings in which a Figure' l isairagmentary elevation of a conventional-:sewing-=machine having myimproved presser" footdevice attached thereto,

Figure- 2r is=a-detailed front elevation of one form ofmy improved: presserfoot device,

Figure 3=is a view similar to Figure 2 but with the mounting block broken away to more clearly show certain -details.-

--Figure 4-'is -asideelevation of the "structure shown in Figure Z. a -Fi'gure'-5" is a top plan'view thereof,

Figure a5 front elevation showing the cooperative r'elationlof: my improved presser foot device-to the=work, andshowingalso the manner in -which itoperateswherea' seam is to be made at some distance-from the edge of the work, in which-case the -two relatively .movable presser feet are on the same' level, --Figure"l is a side: elevation -of the structure shown in Figure- 6,:

- Figure atop plan viewthereof,

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 6, but showing the relationbetween the. two presser foot members where a seam is to be formed adjacent to theaedgeof-oneof two-pieces 'of,fabric which are to be sewn. together, the guiding member. restingonwthe lower piece of fabric' and theother member resting on theupper piece of fabric,

Figure 10 is arside elevation of the, structure shownninisFigure 9,2:

Figure "11, is atop plan view thereof,

Figu e: 32 is a top plan view showing two rela-: tively movablepresser. foot members formed in accordancewith my invention removed from their supporting structure, and e a Figure 13 isa top plan view of a modified form ofthat one ofthe .presser -foot members .with which theneedleof the sewing machine is directly associated.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout, there is shown, in Figure 1, a portion of a sewing machine head comprising a bed I on which the fabric or other work 3 is supported as it is fed along and an arm 5 in'which are carried a vertically reciprocable needle bar 9 and a vertically reciprocable presser bar I, a sewing needle ll being secured, as by means of a screw l3, to the needle bar 9. The structure thus far described is more or less conventional and a more detailed description thereof is not, therefore, believed to be necessary.

is a presser foot mechanism constructed according to my present invention and including a mounting block I5 by means of which the whole structure may be attached to the presser bar 1. For this purpose, the mounting block "I5 is provided with an opening I? into which the lower end of the presser bar 'l'is received and wherein it is locked by a screw or the like i9.

Slidably mounted on the mounting block l5 for horizontal adjustment is'a supporting block 2| of substantially U-shaped cross section, theblock 2! being limited in its horizontal adjustment by a pair of screws or the like 23 extending through a pair of slots 25 in the front face of the mounting block I5 and threaded ina pairof openings 21 in the arms 29 of the supportingblock 2|. The arms 29 are bridged by a top plate 3|. the forward edge of which (i. e., the right hand edge as viewed in Figures 4,! and .is received in a transverse slot 33 in the mounting block [5.

Fitted within the space defined by the rear of the supporting block 2|, its arms 29 and the top plate 3! are a pair of independently movable presser feet 35 and 31 which are confined within said space by the mounting block IS. The presser feet are preferably formed with square shanks 36, 33 (as clearly shown in Figures 12 and'l3) and are mounted adjacent to, each other, being movable as a unit with the supporting block 2l when the latter is adjusted horizontally. Each of the shanks 36, 33 is provided with a bore 39 at its upper end within which is received a compression spring 4 l the springs 4 I, pressing against the top plate 3! to constantly urge the presser feet 35 and 31 downwardly, or toward work engaging position. The relative movement ofthe presser feet 35 and 31 is limited by a pair of stop pins 43 extending through the arms 29 into slots 45 in the shanks 36 and 38, and the pins 43 are preferably s0 located with respect to their associated slots 45 that the presser feet 35 and 31 are normally maintained in horizontally aligned relation.

From the foregoing description, it will be evident that the presser feet 35 and 31 are not only independently movable vertically relative to each other, but also relative to their supporting block 2! and to the presser bar 1, while at the same time. being horizontally adjustable as a unit with the supporting block 2| on the mounting block l5. One of the presser feet (for example, the presser foot 35) may be slotted or reduced to provide a needle-guiding slotd'l ora needle guiding edge 49 for cooperation with the needle I I. When a seam is to bemade at some distance from the edge of the work, as in sewing-together two pieces of fabric 3a and 31) (Figs. 6 to 8) ,the supporting block 2: is adjusted horizontally on the mounting block l5 until'the guide edge 40 of :thepresser foot 31 is at the desired distance from the needle Attached to the lower end of the presser bar 1,,

II, the screws 23 are tightened, and the presser bar I is lowered onto the work until the presser feet 35 and 31 firmly engage the upper fabric 311. The presser feet 35 and 31 will then be at the same level and the work may be fed along with some designated mark thereon under the guide edge 40 whereupon a seam will be formed at the desired distance therefrom. Where a seam is to be formed at a predetermined distance from an edge of the fabric, the adjustment of the supporting block is the same, but the presser foot 31 rests on the lower fabric 31) and the edge of the fabric 3a is guided along the guide edge 40, the presser foot 35 being vertically displaced from and resting on the upper fabric 3a to firmly hold the fabric 3a against the lower fabric 3b.

In Figures 1 to 12, inclusive, I have shown the presser foot 35 reduced in width along its edge 35a which is next adjacent the guide edge 40 of the presser foot 31. This limits the extent of horizontal adjustment of the supporting block 2| on the mounting block [5. To remove this limitation, the presser foot 35 may be reduced along its opposite edge 35b, whereupon the presser foot 35 may be moved away from the needle toward the i right (as viewed in Figures 6 and 9) within the limits permitted by the screws 23 and their associated slots 25.

Although I have shown and described my invention in great detail, I am fully aware that many modifications thereof are possible. For example, the presser feet 35 and 31 may be arranged to be horizontally relatively adjustable as well as vertically, in which case the blocks I5 and 2| may be made of a unitary structure. Many other modifications and changes will, no doubt, readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. I desire, therefore that my invention shall not be limited except insofar as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. Presser foot structure for sewing machines comprising a supporting member, a pair of presser feet .movably carried by said supporting member in contacting relation for independent movement relative to each other and to said supporting member, each of said'presser feet having a slot therein, a spring member associated with each of said presser feet and arranged to urge said presser feet in a predetermined direction relative to said supporting member, and a pair of stop devices on said supporting member each associated with one of saidslots for limiting the relative movement between said presser feet and said supporting member. 7

2. .The invention set forth in claim 1 characterized in that said supporting member is substantially U-shaped in cross section, and characterized further in that said presser feet are carried by said supporting member between the arms of the U.

3. Presser foot structure for sewing machines comprising a supporting member, a pair of relatively movable presser feet carried by said supporting member, and a mounting member whereby said structure is adapted to be attached to a presser bar, said supporting member being adjustably mounted on said mounting member.

4. Presser foot structure for sewing machines comprising a supporting member, a pair of relatively movable presser feet carried by said supporting member, and a mounting member whereby said structure is adapted to be attached to a presser bar, said supporting member being adjustably mounted on said mounting member for adjustment in a direction normal to the direction of movement of said presser feet.

5. Presser foot structure for sewing machines comprising a supportingmember, a pair of presser feet movably carried by said supporting member for independent movement relative to each other and to said supporting member, means associated with each of said presser feet for normally maintaining them in aligned relation, and a mounting member whereby said structure is adapted to be attached to a presser bar, said supporting member being adjustably mounted on said mounting member for adjustment in a direction normal to the direction of movement of said presser feet relative to said supporting member.

6. The invention set forth in claim 5 characterized in that said supporting member is substantially U-shaped in cross section, characterized further in that said presser feet are located on said supporting member between the arms of the U, and characterized still'further in that said mounting member extends across the ends of the arms of the U whereby to confine said presser feet between said arms.

7. In a sewing machine, the combination of a presser bar, a supporting member associated with said presser bar, and a plurality of presser feet carried by said supporting member for independent vertical movement relative to said presser bar, said supporting member being horizontally adjustable relative to said presser bar.

8. In a sewing machine, the combination of a presser bar, a plurality of presser feet, means for mounting said presser feet on said presser bar for independent vertical movement relative to each other, and means for mounting said presser feet for unitary horizontal adjustment relative to said presser bar.

9. In a sewing machine, the combination of a work supporting bed, a sewing needle, a vertically movable presser bar associated with said bed, means including a horizontally adjustable member carried by said presser bar, a pair of presser feet mounted onsaid member for independent vertical movement, one of said presser feet having a notch therein for the reception of said needle, and the other of said presser feet being adapted to act as a work guiding member when vertically displaced from said first named presser foot, and means constantly urging said presser feet into work cooperating position, the horizontal adjustment of said member serving to vary the distance between said needle and said guiding presser foot.

10. In a sewing machine, the combination of a vertically movable sewing needle, a vertically movable presser bar, means including a horizontally adjustable member carried by said presser bar, and a presser foot carried by said member, said presser foot having a horizontally extending needle guide therein for cooperation with said needle, the horizontal adjustment of said horizontally adjustable member serving to adjust said presser foot relative to said needle.

SAMUEL LEVIN. 

